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London’s best new bars

From high-flying cocktail bars in Mayfair to louche basement dens in Soho, Scotch whisky in the City and French spirits in Bethnal Green, the capital’s drinking scene is as full-on as ever. Here we hand-pick the top-rated bars and pubs our expert reviewer, Keith Barker-Main, has visited this month, so if you’re looking for a new watering hole, you’ve come to the right place. Scroll on for five fresh bars which are all well worth visiting.

What: The Aviator is the newly rebranded 1960s-style cocktail bar of swish modern British restaurant Hush. ‘Destination’ cocktails are themed by country and detailed on mocked-up boarding cards; many are delivered with a theatrical flourish. Smoking Señorita (Spain), a suave take on a Manhattan, arrives in a cloud of smoke, from under a cloche, while Rihannatini (Bahamas) comes with mascarpone mousse and a mini chocolate pot.

What: A bar counter inlaid with countless old centime coins, and a drinks list highlighting Calvados, Armagnac, ‘cidre’ and ‘fortified kirs’, indicate the Parisian inspiration at this first solo bar from former Beaufort Bar head bartender Chris Moore. The gimmick-free cocktails are also a tour de force, a too the promise soon of a French kitchen sending out the likes of croquet monsieur and truffled cream leeks.

What: Opened by the Scottish Malt Whisky Society, this handsome new bar, housed in a Georgian former bonded warehouse, is freely accessible to non-members. Some mighty malts (from a collection of 200) are showcased in glass units; single drams go from just over £5 to around ten times that amount, while whisky cocktails are joined on the list by non-whisky classics. Bar snacks include haggis mac’n’cheese.

What: This casual independent wine shop and bar stocks a winning range of organic and bio-dynamic wines to go – or to drink at the island bar. House Pays d’Oc Marsanne (dry and satisfying, with hints of spice and pear) underpins a selection of around three dozen loftier wines by the glass. Dine informally on seasonal food with a pronounced French accent: charcuterie platter bar snacks or daily mains such as fresh pea risotto.